By partnering with local physicians, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is expanding UAMS Orthopaedics to Northwest Arkansas. In January 2020, the Shoulder Center of Arkansas in Fayetteville and its therapy partner, 201–train-recover-move, in Fayetteville and Rogers will become part of the statewide UAMS Health system.
Wesley Cox, M.D., who founded the practice, and Chad Songy, M.D., who joined it earlier this year, will both join UAMS and bring their team with them, including the 201 team members, who serve world-class athletes and Olympians. Former University of Arkansas head primary care sports medicine team physician Ramon Ylanan, M.D., who joined UAMS in early October, will continue to practice as a sports medicine specialist with UAMS at the Shoulder Center.
“Dr. Cox is a premier surgeon and he and his team will make invaluable additions to our department, which is continuing to grow and reach patients where they live, particularly when travel to Little Rock is not possible or convenient,” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine.
“As the fastest growing part of the state, Northwest Arkansas is a critical area of service for UAMS and its mission of improving the health of all Arkansans,” UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA.
“UAMS is committed to growing specialty and subspecialty care in Northwest Arkansas,” said Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., vice chancellor for the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “As local physicians with established relationships, Drs. Cox, Songy and Ylanan will be ideal ambassadors for UAMS Orthopaedics in this region.”
Cox is an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist and a former head team physician to a number of sports programs at the University of Arkansas. He is a 2003 graduate of UAMS. After completing an internship and residency in orthopaedics at UAMS, Cox moved to San Francisco for fellowship specialty training in shoulder, elbow and sports medicine surgery. He returned to his native Fayetteville in 2009 to found his practice. He received a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Auburn University.
A Baton Rouge native, Songy received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Louisiana State University. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Shreveport and completed his residency in orthopaedics at UAMS in 2018. After completing specialized training in complex shoulder and elbow reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic in 2019, he returned to Arkansas to join Cox in practice at the Shoulder Center of Arkansas.
“This partnership opens up a number of unique opportunities in Northwest Arkansas by combining our clinical subspecialty care with the statewide scaling and resources of an institution like UAMS,” said Cox. “We look forward to combining our expertise on shoulder and elbow surgery and all our subspecialties to the existing talent and capabilities at UAMS Orthopaedics to become a health care destination and provider of choice not just for those locally but for all of Arkansas.”
“We believe this will be a tremendous asset to our current and future patients and look forward to working with our new colleagues in UAMS Orthopaedics,” added Songy.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 250 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 50 medical and pharmacy residents, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Childrens Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
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